FM2007 - Empty Club Dynasty (interactive)

[ArlingtonColt]

Landon is developing nicely... I just hope he can continue to stay healthy and really set the premiership on fire.

[George]

Originally Posted by law90026

Jorge Antonio, Attacking Midfielder, Espanyol
The Portugese international (first cap this year) appears to have found a place he enjoys playing at. Espanyol like him too, which is why they gave him a nice big 4 year contract. 8 goals is a solid return from an attacking midfielder.

CA: 153 (+14)
PA: 186

Season Stats:
42 games, 8 goals, 2 assists, 3 yellow, 6.93 rating

Nice!

[flere-imsaho]

Crazy stuff about Man Utd. Their in-game chairman must be really stingy, otherwise I'd expect them to have no problem recovering.

It'll be interesting to see if Kamelooski takes off a bit more if/when someone plays him at a position other than wingback. In all my time playing FM2007, I've just not seen many teams use that position.

[st.cronin]

Treacy is the man.

[oykib]

What the hell is up with Milan. Why pay 23m for me and then leave me on the bench?

[larrymcg421]

Nielsen couldn't score on me even if I was blindfolded.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Nielsen couldn't score on me even if I was blindfolded.

Rob Nielsen challenges you to a duel.

To the death.

[law90026]

Around the world update:

Richest Clubs:
Roma are still first (840m) with Real and Barcelona at 2nd and third. Milan and Chelsea run out the top 5. In terms of the 20 richest clubs in the world, there are 5 Italian teams (Roma, Milan, Inter, Juventus and Palermo), 5 Spanish teams (Real, Barca, Valencia, Atletico, Deportivo), 7 English teams (Chelsea, Arsenal, West Ham, Liverpool, Tottenham, Man Utd and Newcastle), 2 French teams (PSG and Lyon) and 1 German team (FC Bayern).

Transfers:
A relatively quiet transfer market. There were quite a large number of transfers but no exorbitant prices, save for the transfer of Wayne Rooney from Chelsea to Roma for 113m.

Quick look at the richest club in the world, AS Roma:
Roma is by far the richest club in the world right now. In terms of their recent successes (since 2006), they have won 2 league titles and were runners-up twice. They also won 2 successive European Champions Cups in 07 and 08, as well as a few of the smaller international trophies (European Supercup, Club World Championship).

Currently, Roma have a strong squad. 22 players have at least a CA of 151 or more (19 of which are at least 160 or more). Their current stars are undoubtedly recent signing Wayne Rooney, Midifielders Michael Essien and Welsey Sneijder as well as 2 other forwards, Robinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Their squad is also youngish, with only 3 players in their thirties and the bulk of their players in their early to mid-twenties.

[law90026]

16 Player update:

This update is going to be slightly more in-depth and will break each player down a little more. Accordingly, it'll take a little more time so be patient The reason is that this marks the 6th season the players are entering into and I want to see how they have progressed in their first 5 years.

Larry McGillicuddy, Goalkeeper, Manchester United:
The 22 year old Irish international remains at Manchester United and is valued at 19 million pounds. Larry is probably one of the best keepers in the world at this time (CA 170, joint 7th in the world), especially at his young age. What is frustrating for him though is that he's slowly gaining a reputation as the best player never to play in the top-flight of European football. Strangely enough, Larry has only played in the Championship, League One and League Two.

Larry has also never tasted much individual or club success. No trophies to show for his considerable talent thus far in his career though it probably has a long way to go yet.

CA:170
PA: 182

Stats:
20: Aerial Ability, Command of Area, Eccentricity, Reflexes, Anticipation, Positioning, Agility, Balance, Jumping
18-19: Rushing Out, Concentration, Influence, Acceleration
15-17: Communication, Pace, Strength
Relevant Weak stats: Kicking (4), Throwing (6), Bravery (4), Creativity (2), Decisions (5), Flair (5)

Analysis:
Larry is a shot stopper, plain and simple. Beyond that, he's good at catching crosses, commanding his box and he's got strong physical attributes.

However, he does have some pretty major flaws for a keeper to be honest. He's very eccentric (think Jens Lehmann) and he's also a terrible distributor of the ball. He isn't the player who will be able to start attacks from the back though I guess that isn't what all clubs look for in their keepers.

Career Stats:
172 games (2 sub), 219 conceded, 36 clean sheets, 12 MOM, 7.22 rating
5 Irish caps

[law90026]

Aaron Gage, Attacking Midfielder, Wigan:
After 2 disappointing seasons in Scotland, Aaron Gage returns to England when a 19m transfer was agreed between Celtic and Wigan. He said the right thing when he returned, claiming that he wanted to join a bigger club .. newsflash though Aaron, Wigan is not bigger than Celtic.

The Irish international is a decent player. I don't think anyone would call him worldclass yet but he's good enough for topflight football. He can contribute by both scoring and creating goals, as evidenced by his league record, although most of those games were not actually played in the English Premier League.

CA: 148
PA: 174

Stats:
20: Dribbling, Aggression, Creativity, Flair, Natural Fitness, Pace, Stamina
18-19: Crossing, Passing, Determination, Acceleration, Balance
15-17: Bravery, Work Rate, Strength
Weak Stats: Corners (3), Finishing (3), First Touch (8), Long Shots (6), Tackling (3), Technique (8), Concentration (4), Decisions (6)

Analysis:
Aaron is the prototypical winger. He's great when he's on the ball and he's just so tricky on the wings with the ability to deliver killer balls on the run. He's also not a lazy player and is willing to track back to help defend.

His flaws? Well, he's horrible at set-pieces. He's also got surprisingly poor first touch and technique, which prevents him from being more dangerous. And don't let the fact that he scores some goals fool you ... he's a really poor finisher.

Career Stats:
97 games (7 sub), 15 goals, 24 assists, 7 MOM, 6.80 rating
2 Euro Vase Cups with Celtic
14 Irish caps/ 2 goals

[law90026]

Rob Nielsen, Striker, Lyon:
The self-proclaimed Danish mercenary made another move again this year, back to Lyon for 18.5m, half the amount Juve had paid for him last summer. Acknowledgement perhaps that they overpaid for Rob Nielsen last year? Bad business for Juve, good for Rob though in terms of signing bonuses.

Rob is undoubtedly a talent but he's never quite put it together in the course of an entire season besides showing tantalising glimpses of it. He's probably around the top 25 players in the world as an offensive player (169, joint 23rd) at this time and he's got time to blossom further. He just needs to show this talent now and he'll be hoping that a return to Lyon will give him that chance.

CA: 169
PA: 185

Stats:
20: Finishing, First Touch, Technique, Decisions, Influence, Off the Ball, Acceleration, Pace, Stamina
18-19: Composure, Flair, Agility
15-17: Balance
Weak Stats: Crossing (3), Dribbling (3), Heading (6), Long Shots (7), Passing (3), Penalty Taking (4), Creativity (5)

Analysis:
Rob is never going to be mistaken as a target man. He's more of a speedy striker, like Michael Owen. He's got great predatory instincts on the pitch and he moves without the ball very well, allowing him to stretch defences.

On the negative side though, once Rob goes wide, he becomes useless and defences know that. He can't dribble well enough to get back into a central position, he can't pass the ball well enough to assist the offence from the wide positions and he can't cross at all. Don't expect to see Rob create many goals.

Career Stats:
113 games (25 sub), 36 goals, 3 MOM, 6.79 rating [
Bear in mind 16 goals came in his first season with Horsens. His top-flight record is more like 13 goals in 58 games, a 1:4 return]
9 Denmark caps/ 4 goals
French Chapions Trophy Winner
Euro Vase Winner with Lyon
European Champions Cup runner-up with Lyon

[law90026]

Landon Scott, Striker, Blackburn:
Landon will be starting his 5th season at Ewood Park this year, despite the constant rumours every year that he'll be leaving. Boro and West Ham are the latest rumoured clubs interested in him but we'll only believe he'll go when he actually signs a contract with some other club.

The US international has really developed since his initial days with QPR. Concerns about his proneness to injury have long since been overcome and Landon is steadily proving that he's a very good player. Landon has also not tasted much success however and it'll be interesting to see if his loyalty to Blackburn can eventually be overcome by ambition.

CA: 164
PA: 193

Stats:
20: Finishing, Heading, Composure, Determination, Off the Ball, Pace
18-19: Technique, Acceleration, Agility
15-17: First Touch, Anticipation, Influence, Balance
Weak Stats: Crossing, Dribbling, Long Shots, Passing, Bravery, Concentration, Decisions, Teamwork, Work Rate

Analysis:
He's got some of the key attributes to be a great striker. Strong in the air, fast on the ground, good movement, composed in front of goal ...

But he's also got some serious issues. Most importantly perhaps is that he's not the best teammate in the world. Coupled with his poor work rate sometimes pisses the hell out of his teammates.

Career Stats:
110 games (22 sub), 34 goals, 5 MOM, 7.03 rating (about 28 goals in 91 games for Blackburn, 1:3 ratio)
17 US caps / 12 goals

[law90026]

Karl Tone, Winger, Inter:
Karl has not managed to stay very long at his various clubs (through no fault of his own). He's only ever managed to stay for about 2 seasons or so at Deportivo and Hibernian (on loan from Spurs) but his decent performances have allowed him to attract interest from other clubs along the way.

Karl has had some success at club level thus far, winning a league title with Hibernian as well as Champions Cup winner's medal with Deportivo. His most recent success was a runners-up medal with the US in the Gold Cup but he did suffer a broken cheekbone in the process. Valued at 16m currently, he's slowly becoming a world-class player.

CA: 154
PA: 194

Stats:
20: Natural Fitness
18-19: Crossing, Dribbling, Passing, Creativity, Decisions, Off the Ball, Acceleration, Pace
15-17: Aggression, Agility, Stamina, Strength
Weak Stats: Finishing, First Touch, Long Shots, Technique, Tackling, Concentration

Analysis:
Karl generally looks the part of a good offensive player. Able to pass well as well as attack defenders with his pace and dribbling, it's little wonder clubs like his performances.

However, if he was more efficient in front of goal, he would be a complete package. As it stands, players are prepared to let him shoot as they understand that's less of a danger than trying to mark him too closely and letting him get past them to put a dangerous ball into the box.

Career Stats:
168 games (1 sub), 22 goals, 37 assists, 12 MOM, 6.63 rating
10 US caps / 3 goals
Gold Cup runner-up with the US
Club World Championship winner with Deportivo
European Super Cup runner up with Deportivo
Champions Cup Winner with Deportivo
Scottish Premierleague winner with Hibernian

[law90026]

Kevin Donnelly, Striker, Portsmouth:
Another nomadic player who has moved clubs so many times in his early career. His biggest disappointment at this time is probably the fact that he is back to playing in the Championship at this time as he was unable to help save Portsmouth from relegation.

His closest brush to success thus far is the League Cup runners-up medal he won with Portsmouth at the end of last season. The Irish international will be seeking to push Portsmouth back to the Premiership this year.

CA: 160
PA: 186

Stats:
20: Flair
18-19: Dribbling, Finishing, First Touch, Marking (!), Composure, Determination, Flair, Acceleration, Agility, Pace, Strength
15-17: Off the Ball
Weak Stats: Crossing, Heading, Long Shots, Passing, Concentration

Analysis:
Definitely not the striker to hold the ball up, Kevin Donnelly is one of those tricky players that can astound the fans with moments of sheer brilliance. Think Maradona in his prime, though Kevin Donnelly probably isn't at that level yet.

Still, Kevin's weakness is his inability to bring his other teammates into the game because he can't hold the ball up and he can't pass the ball well enough to provide any link-up play between midfield and the strikers.

Career Stats:
171 games (18 sub), 68 goals, 13 MOM, 7.03 rating (15 goals in 45 Premiership games, 1:3 record)
English League Cup runner-up with Portsmouth
4 Irish caps / 2 goals

[Alf]

Maybe a stupid question, but what is " Euro Vase" ?

[law90026]

Originally Posted by Alf

Maybe a stupid question, but what is " Euro Vase" ?

If I understand it correctly, it's like the third tier European cup competition. So in terms of prestige, it would be like:
European Champions Cup
Euro Cup
Euro Vase

[Travis]

Great writeups, very much like the recap/analysis format for these. Good timing for it too, should be interesting to see how the analysis compares 5 years from now for those still playing.

[RPI-Fan]

Originally Posted by Alf

Maybe a stupid question, but what is " Euro Vase" ?

Inter-Toto Cup

[ntndeacon]

Deacon expects Porto to play him more. Deacon expects to be the star thst he is supposed to be. Soon Deacon will give Rob Neilson a run for his money.

[law90026]

Jace Hunter, Goalkeeper, Arsenal:
32 caps for Canada at the young age of 22 indicates how much talent Jace has (or perhaps how little talent Canada have). The first choice keeper for Arsenal last year, Jace will be looking to build on that success this year and win his first medal (he missed out on the FA cup last year).

Jace is another very good keeper already, only slightly behind Larry McGillicuddy in terms of ability. Jace's physical attributes are quite astounding as well, with his lowest stat at 18.

CA:168
PA: 180

Stats:
20: Aerial Ability, One on Ones, Reflexes, Anticipation, Positioning, Agility, Balance, Jumping, Natural Fitness, Pace, Strength
18-19: Composure, Determination, Acceleration, Stamina
15-17: Tendency to Punch, Bravery
Relevant Weak stats: Kicking (8), Rushing Out (9), Concentration (6), Decisions (8)

Analysis:
Jace is fundamentally very sound as a keeper. He's got the basic abilities as well as the physical abilities to be a world class keeper.

The concern about Jace though is that he's not always as focused as he should be and he can occasionally make bad decisions. It may not be a major issue but there's always concern whether he will make a mistake in an important match.

Career Stats:
148 games (2 sub), 177 conceded, 38 clean sheets, 19 MOM, 7.41 rating
32 Canada caps

[law90026]

Sean Treacy, Midfielder, Arsenal
The Scottish international is a player who has made an impact with the 2 of the 3 teams he has played for in the past 5 years. With Manchester City, he drove them to promotion back to the Premiership. With Arsenal, he helped them win their first medal in a long time (FA Cup) and he'll want to win more this year.

He's valued at 13 million pounds and that relatively low price tag has clubs interested in acquiring his services, although the suspicion is that Arsenal will not let him go easily. Sean isn't quite in the upper echelon of central midfielders yet but he's nearly there if he continues to improve.

CA: 160
PA: 172

20: Free Kicks, Passing, Aggression, Natural Fitness
18-19: Marking, Positioning, Teamwork, Work Rate, Acceleration, Stamina, Strength
15-17: First Touch, Anticipation, Composure, Decisions, Influence, Agility, Pace
Relevant Weak stats: Corners (4), Crossing (4), Dribbling (4), Finishing (4), Long Shots (4), Tackling (4), Creativity (6), Determination (4)

Analysis:
There are 2 sides to Jace, the good and the bad. On the good side, Jace is a super teammate on the pitch and his passing is top class. He's also prepared to work hard and mark the opposition's players well.

However, on the bad side, Jace is not a creative or offensive force. He isn't the player who will play throughballs or dribble past opponents with ease to set up teammates. And despite his strong marking abilities, Jace is not a good tackler, which can occasionally put his teammates in a difficult position.

Career Stats:
169 games (5 sub), 3 goals, 32 assists, 12 MOM, 7.20 rating
13 Scotland caps
English FA Cup winner with Arsenal
English Players' Premier Division Select (2011)
English Players' Young Player of the Year Runner Up (2010)
English Players' Championship Select (2008, 2009)
Bolton Supporter's Player of the Year (2007)

[law90026]

Logan Pacer, Defensive Midfielder, Wigan
Logan Pacer makes his 3rd move in as many seasons, this time on a 12m pound transfer from Feyenoord to Wigan Athletic. It's a sizeable amount of money to pay for a player that hasn't really excelled in his 2 previous clubs. Hopefully this is the year it changes for Logan.

One good thing about Logan though is that he does play a part in club-level success. At Getafe, he helped them win the Spanish Liga B title, ensuring their promotion back to the top-flight. At Feyenoord, he was part of the Dutch League championship winning side. Wigan will hope he can bring some of that success over with him. Logan's one major regret thus far is that he has not been capped by the US yet as he is only a former U-21 international.

CA: 151
PA: 190

Stats:
20: Heading, Marking, Tackling, Anticipation, Influence, Work Rate, Balance, Natural Fitness, Stamina, Strength
18-19: Acceleration
15-17: Determination, Flair, Teamwork, Agility, Jumping, Pace
Relevant Weak stats: Dribbling (4), Crossing (5), Passing (8), Composure (6)

Analysis:
Logan knows what his role is and he's ensured that he has the right skill set to excel as a defensive midfielder. He covers a lot of ground on the pitch with ease and is always in a position to tackle or cut off dangerous balls from the other side. His strong physical abilities also makes him more impressive in such a role.

While some may view it as being overly critical, the one criticism of Logan is that he's very one-dimensional. He will not be the player to change defence to attack with one pass and he's never going to be a strong offensive force.

Career Stats:
98 games (2 sub), 2 goals, 1 assist, 1 MOM, 6.23 rating

[law90026]

Colton Mayes, Defender, Arsenal
The third of the youngsters at Arsenal, Colton is one of those workhorses that will probably never be a flashy star but that managers appreciate. Colton was part of the FA Cup winning team last year, which is his first taste of success and washes away two disappointing seasons with Celtic before that.

The 22 year old Irish international is currently valued at 11.75m pounds and, together with Jace Hunter and Sean Treacy, forms a strong backbone for the Arsenal side. Colton isn't quite world-class yet though he still has some time to develop further.

CA: 143
PA: 181

Stats:
20: Heading, Marking, Tackling, Positioning, Work Rate, Balance, Jumping, Strength
18-19: Determination, Stamina
15-17: Teamwork, Agility
Relevant Weak stats: First Touch (7), Passing (3), Technique (3), Composure (5), Natural Fitness (3)

Analysis:
Colton is a bit of a throwback to a different era of defenders. He's in the mould of players like Tony Adams and Martin Keown, defenders who defended very well but had less than optimal technical ability, unlike some of the current flashier defenders like Rio Ferdinand.

Still, you want strong defensive abilities in a defender and Colton has tons of that. His major issue though, besides his poor technical abilities, is the fact that he is not naturally fit and it takes him longer than others to recover between matches.

Career Stats:
174 games (2 sub), 3 goals, 5 MOM, 6.87 rating
6 Irish caps
FA Cup winner with Arsenal

[law90026]

Jaime Moore, Winger, Milan:
Jaime is probably regretting his move to Italy. He spent a miserable season on the bench and his performances were absolutely horrible all year round. The US international will be hoping that things change this year, either at Milan or at Barcelona, who have made a sizeable bid for him.

Jaime has played for 6 clubs in 5 years, and a sizeable period of time was spent in Scotland, where he became a hero at Rangers. Last year wasn't a complete waste for him as he did pick up a European Champions Cup runners-up medal.

CA: 162
PA: 185

Stats:
20: Crossing, Long Shots, Passing, Determination, Flair, Work Rate, Acceleration, Agility, Natural Fitness, Pace
18-19: Off the Ball, Strength
15-17: Teamwork, Jumping, Stamina
Relevant Weak stats: Dribbling (8), First Touch (8), Technique (7), Creativity (5), Positioning (6)

Analysis:
Jaime is nearly the classing winger. Blindingly fast, a good crosser, a good passer and with bags of tricks in his repertoire, Jaime is a target man's dream come true.

Where Jaime fails to impress though is in terms of this actual technique. A poor first touch and less than adequate dribbling ability means that Jaime has to be passed the ball in dangerous positions because it's unlikely Jaime can get to the byline by himself. It helps though that teammates can play balls into the channels for him to chase.

Career Stats:
120 games (18 sub), 5 goals, 13 assists, 3 MOM, 6.52 rating
3 US caps
European Champions Cup runner up with Milan (2011)
Scottish PremierLeague winner with Rangers (2010)
Scottish Cup Winner with Rangers (2010)
Scottish League Cup winner with Rangers (2010)
Scottish Premierleague team of the Year (2010)
Scottish Premierleague 3rd place Young Player of the Year (2010)
Olympic Games runner-up with France U-23s

[law90026]

K.N. Smith, Midfielder, HSV:
K.N. has spent his past 4 years in Germany, where he has been a bit of a disappointment. His 17m pound move to HSV from Nurnberg hasn't quite worked out so far as he has not appeared in many games for HSV. Last season was really bad as he just performed badly in all 14 appearances he made.

A move is possibly on the cards as Karlsruhe has indicated an interest in the US international.

CA: 159
PA: 186

Stats
20: Creativity, Decisions, Flair, Teamwork, Natural Fitness, Strength
18-19: First Touch, Passing, Technique, Acceleration, Pace
15-17: Determination, Work Rate, Agility
Relevant Weak stats: Dribbling (4), Marking (4), Tacking (7), Anticipation (5), Positioning (5)

Analysis:
For K.N., he's a technically solid central midfielder who will distribute the ball well. Think of Xabi Alonso, i.e. the player who will collect the ball from defence and spread it around as the starting point of the attack.

However, where K.N. fails is in terms of his defensive abilities. That's one possible reason why he's struggling right now as teams have started to attack his spot on the pitch. It doesn't help that K.N. can easily be caught out of position on the pitch.

Career Stats:
113 games (22 sub), 1 goal, 13 assists, 4 MOM, 6.35 rating
12 US caps / 2 goals
Dutch Premier division champions with Vitesse (2007)

[RPI-Fan]

Thanks for the write-up... interesting description, as that's exactly the type of player I was thinking of when I picked K.N.'s attributes (and in factlargely the type of player I am in real-life). Even though K.N. is an athletic specimen, he doesn't like to tackle or play defense. Curiously, despite being big and strong, he has a deft touch and delivers great balls from a deep-lying position.

Not a particularly useful type of player in real-life, but perhaps interesting nonetheless.

[bbgunn]

Man, I should've been quicker to join this. Good work, Danny!

[law90026]

Jorge Antonio, Attacking Midfielder, Palermo
The 7.75m pound midfielder moves to Palermo in the off-season after one good year at Espanyol. Will that be a good decision? It's unclear at this time but Palermo is probably a bigger club than Espanyol at this stage.

Capped twice by Portugal so far and he's also scored 2 international goals. He hasn't won anything of note so far and he may have more success in that regard with Palermo, who won the Italian Cup last season and were runners-up in the Euro Cup in 2010.

CA: 156
PA: 186

Stats:
20: none
18-19: First Touch, Passing, Technique, Anticipation, Decisions, Off the Ball, Acceleration, Agility, Balance, Pace
15-17: Stamina
Relevant Weak stats: Crossing (4), Dribbling (3)

Analysis:
Jorge is a solid offensive player at this time. Good first touch, ability to distribute the ball, reads the game well and makes good decisions, he's potentially a player you could build your midfield around.

What holds him back though is his inability to move with the ball at his feet. That limits what he can do offensively as players can back off from him and dare him to try to dribble past them, which often doesn't work.

Career Stats:
119 games (6 sub), 8 goals, 11 assists, 1 MOM, 6.61 rating
2 Portugal caps / 2 goals

[law90026]

Alex Kamelooski, Wingback/Defensive Midfielder, Liverpool:
Alex is a player who may potentially be at a crossroads in his career. His move to Liverpool in 2009 may potentially be turning into a nightmare, what with comments that he doesn't fit into his boss' first team plans and now a dispute over his contract. Will he stay on at Anfield or will he move? That's the major question now.

Alex managed to win his first cap for Poland last season when he spent the second half of the season on loan at Watford. He showed his ability there when he played very well and he'll at least hope his boss will give him an opportunity this year.

CA: 153
PA: 183

Stats:
20: Heading, Marking, Tackling, Bravery, Work Rate, Natural Fitness, Stamina, Strength
18-19: Determination, Teamwork
15-17: Technique, Composure, Positioning, Acceleration, Balance, Jumping
Relevant Weak stats: Crossing (4)

Analysis:
Alex is quite possibly the most well-rounded of the group of 16 players. He's not terribly weak in many areas and the only possible gripe with him is that he doesn't cross the ball very well, which is a drawback for a wing-back.

Other than that though, Alex has all the abilities to play as a defender or holding midfielder and he is a real workhorse on the pitch.

Career Stats:
147 games (7 sub), 16 goals, 14 assists, 8 MOM, 7.07 rating
1 Poland cap

[law90026]

Path Twelve, Goalkeeper, Chelsea:
A player who is wondering where things started going wrong for him. Path undoubtedly has talent but he made the wrong move when he opted for a high-profile move from Arsenal to Chelsea because he finds himself behind a very very good goalkeeper in Petr Cech. Path is good but he's not good enough and a move would probably be in his best interests.

Path's club level success thus far is a bunch of runner-up medals, in the FA Cup, the European U-21 Championship (France) and the Olympic Games (France).

CA: 168
PA: 183

Stats:
20: Aerial Ability, Handling, Reflexes, Rushing Out, Anticipation, Decisions, Positioning, Acceleration, Agility, Balance, Jumping, Natural Fitness
18-19: Pace, Strength
15-17: Determination, Stamina
Relevant Weak stats: Kicking (5), One on Ones (7), Throwing (6), Composure (3)

Analysis:
He's got more or less the entire package of skills a good keeper needs. Good shotstopper, great in handling crosses, makes good decisions, Path just needs an opportunity to play regularly.

He's another poor distributor of the ball though with his poor kicking and throwing ability. He's also not very good when faced one-on-one with a striker and he'll have to rely on his defence to prevent that from happening.

Career Stats:
66 games (6 sub), 73 conceded, 17 clean sheets, 2 MOM, 7.03 rating
English FA Cup Runner Up with Chelsea (2010)
European U-21 Championship Runner Up (France, 2010)
Olympic Games runner-up (France, 2008)

[law90026]

Deacon Palmieri, Attacking Midfielder, Porto:

The former Bulgarian U-21 international's career hasn't really taken off yet. He has only made sparing appearances for both Fiorentina and Porto thus far and he really needs to get more games under his belt. A potential move to Monaco may fix that for him as the French side have made a 2.1m pound bid for his services.

Deacon hasn't won anything of note yet in his career, save for a Euro Vase runners-up medal with Porto two seasons ago.

CA: 140
PA: 178

Stats:
20: Flair
18-19: Creativity, Determination, Off the Ball
15-17: Crossing, Dribbling, Heading, Positioning, Acceleration, Balance, Pace, Stamina
Relevant Weak stats: First Touch (2), Concentration (4), Decisions (3), Teamwork (7)

Analysis:
The difficulty for Deacon is that he's a really creative player on the pitch ... the only problem is that he doesn't quite have the ability to carry them out. He moves well without the ball but even when he gets it, he can't do that much with it unless he's whipping in crosses from the flank.

Not all is lost though because it's not like Deacon is a bad player. It's just that he hasn't really had a chance to develop yet.

Career Stats:
46 games (21 sub), 5 goals, 1 assist, 1 MOM, 6.11 rating
Euro Vase Runner-up with Porto (2009)

[law90026]

16 Player Quick Hits Mid Season update:

Jaime Moore moved to Barcelona at the start of the season, as anticipated. He's playing regularly but badly.

Sean Treacy broke his leg and is out for 5 months. Good luck in rehab.

Alex Kamelooski is still at Liverpool but a number of firm bids have been made for him. Expect him to move in the transfer window, possibly to Arsenal.

Deacon Palmieri signed his contract with Monaco. Unfortunately for him, it hasn't resulted in more playing time.

[law90026]

End of Season Recap, Around the World, 2011/2012:

English Premier League:
Spurs retain their title, 10 pts clear of 2nd placed Everton. Boro were 3rd and Crystal Palace and Charlton were 4th and 5th. Liverpool ended 7th and Arsenal were 14th. The most surprising news perhaps was that Chelsea was relegated, bottom of the table with only 39 pts, fully 5 pts behind 19th placed Newcastle.

Man Utd bounced back and won automatic promotion to the Premiership with a 9 pt lead over Portsmouth.

I honestly don't know what to say. We're talking about a Chelsea team which is by no means weak, though not as strong as before. Their starting 11 has players like Cech, Kolo Toure, John Terry, Robben, David Villa, Xavi, Gerrard and Frank Lampard. We'll see how they bounce back next year.

2 teams have dominated English football in the past 6 years, Chelsea (x3) and Spurs (x3). Spurs are quite possibly the most succesful side in the same span as they managed 2 2nd place finishes and 1 3rd place finish, which means they haven't been out of the top 3 for 6 years now.

French League:
Marseille win the French title. Rennes were 2nd and Lyon were 3rd.

German Bundesliga:
Bayern continues to dominate the German league with their 8th consecutive title. HSV were 2nd and Werder Bremen 3rd.

Italian Serie A:
Milan win the title, Palermo were 2nd, Inter and Roma were 3rd and 4th respectively. Juventus was 6th. The Series A in the past 6 years has largely been dominated by Milan (3 out of 6 titles, 3 2nd placed finishes), with Roma (2 titles) and Juventus (1 title) being the other winners. Palermo has managed 1 2nd placed finish and 2 3rd placed finishes in that period. Inter has only managed 4 3rd place finishes during the same 6 year period.

Portugal Primeria Liga:
In the Primera Liga, Sporting won the title for another year running, beating little-known Braga on goal difference. Porto were 3rd.

Spanish First Division:
Barcelona win the title at last after a long drought of 6 years. Sevilla, Real Madrid and Athletico were 2nd, 3rd and 4th.

We have had 5 different winners in the past 6 years, Barcelona, Valencia, Athletic, Deportivo (x2) and Espanyol. Barcelona have been consistently good, with 4 2nd place finishes during that period. Real Madrid are a disappointment, with no titles and only 3 3rd place finishes in that period.

Champions Cup:
Atletic beat Milan on penalties in the Finals. Milan have now reached 3 consecutive finals but lost in the last two.

Euro Cup:
Inter beat Valencia 2-1.

In the past 6 years, Italian clubs have dominated this competition. Roma (x2), Milan and Inter have won 4 out of the last 6 finals, with Atletico and Deportivo being the 2 Spanish clubs that broke this dominance.

FA Cup:
Liverpool beat Chelsea on penalties after the match ended 2-2 after extra time.

Italian Cup:
Inter beat Milan 3-1 on aggregate, which means that Inter manages a cup double this year.

Thoughts:
So Man Utd return to the Premiership at last. The shocking news obviously was that Chelsea got relegated. It honestly doesn't make sense to me that such a team would be bottom of the table. I could understand it if they struggled but bottom of the table is hard to believe.

Around the world, not much changes. The same few clubs are in the mix for their league titles though I must say the Italian and Spanish clubs look strong overall compared to other teams.

[law90026]

16 Player Update, Season 2011/2012:

Landon Scott, Striker, Blackburn:
The year Landon Scott apparently becomes a superstar. Landon continued to play well for Rovers and, at the end of the season, is the subject of huge bids for his services. Don't expect him to be at Ewood Park much longer because the board has forced his manager to accept some of those bids.

CA: 165 (+1)
PA: 193

Season Stats:
33 games (3 sub), 15 goals, 2 MOM, 7 yellows, 7.12 rating

Aaron Gage, Attacking Midfielder, Wigan:
The Irish international has matured and is now tutoring Paul Bywater, a 16 year old winger in the U-18s team. Aaron played well this year although success again eluded him. He was great for Wigan though, 10 goals and 10 assists is a really good return for any player.

CA: 151 (+3)
PA: 174

Season Stats:
43 games, 10 goals, 10 assists, 1 MOM, 5 yellows, 1 red, 7.02 rating

Rob Nielsen, Striker, Lyon:
Rob plays a full season for Lyon and plays decently. Considering the amoun paid for him though, decently probably isn't good enough. 13 goals in 37 games isn't the best goalscoring record as well. Rob did manage to win the French League Cup this year though and scored in their 3-1 win over Auxerre.

CA: 173 (+4)
PA: 185

Season Stats:
37 games (3 as sub), 13 goals, 1 MOM, 6 yellows, 1 red, 7.00 rating

Jace Hunter, Goalkeeper, Arsenal:
The Canadian will be disappointed at how badly Arsenal performed in the league this year (14th place). Surprisingly, Jace was again kept on the bench for Arsenal's League Cup win this year, which will be baffling for him.

CA: 171 (+3)
PA: 180

Season Stats:
44 games (1 sub), 52 conceded, 10 clean sheets, 4 MOM, 3 yellows, 7.27 rating

Kevin Donnelly, Striker, Portsmouth:
Kevin completely outclassed the Championship defenders this year, scoring 22 league goals and pushing Portsmouth to 2nd spot and a return to the Premiership. All that has led to bids for the young striker though, including bids from Boro and West Ham.

CA: 162 (+2)
PA: 186

Season stats:
49 games (1 sub), 26 goals, 3 MOM, 5 yellows, 7.33 rating
3rd placed top goalscorer in the Championship

Jaime Moore, Winger, Barcelona:
It was surprising that Jaime was kept in the first team, considering how badly he played throughout the season. However, that didn't stop Barcelona from winning their first title in 6 years so perhaps it wasn't such a bad decision.

CA: 162 (+0)
PA: 185

Season Stats:
50 games (8 sub), 3 assists, 4 yellows, 5.86 rating
Spanish First Division champion
Spanish League Cup winner

Sean Treacy, Midfielder, Arsenal:
Sean played only in parts of the 2nd half of the season as a result of his horrific injury. He played well in those games though and the Arsenal fans will be hoping that Sean will be back at full steam next season.

CA: 165 (+5)
PA: 172

Season Stats:
17 games, 5 assists, 2 yellows, 7.18 rating

Path Twelve, Goalkeeper, Chelsea:
Path stayed on at Chelsea and his dedication was rewarded with some playing time this year. 21 games and he played well in all those games, garnering his first 3 French caps as well.

CA: 170 (+2)
PA: 183

Season Stats:
21 games (3 sub), 18 conceded, 9 clean sheets, 2 MOM, 1 red, 7.48 rating
English FA Cup runner-up

Karl Tone, Winger, Inter:
The US international had a pretty bad season for Inter this year and only managed a 6.05 rating. He may have scored a little more this year but that didn't necessarily mean he played well.

CA: 158 (+4)
PA: 194

Season Stats:
39 games (9 sub), 4 goals, 3 assists, 3 yellows, 6.05 rating

Logan Pacer, Defensive Midfielder, Wigan:
Logan Pacer won his first cap for the US this year as he played regularly for Wigan alongside Aaron Gage. He didn't perform particularly well though a defensive midfielder seldom wins accolades anyway.

CA: 152 (+1)
PA: 190

Season Stats:
39 games, 1 goal, 4 yellows, 2 reds, 6.21 rating

Jorge Antonio, Attacking Midfielder, Palermo:
Jorge was given every chance to succeed this year but he played in very average fashion for Palermo. His season was cut short when he suffered a serious hip injury and missed the last 3 months or so of the season. Jorge has become a regular in the Portugal team though, which is nice to see.

CA: 161 (+5)
PA: 186

Season Stats:
28 games (3 sub), 2 goals, 4 assists, 1 yellow, 6.25 rating

K.N. Smith, Midfielder, HSV:
K.N. again appeared sparingly for HSV, which came in 2nd in the Bundesliga this year. It'll be frustrating for K.N. not to play more regularly but he'll be the first to acknowledge that his performances have not been up to the mark.

CA: 159 (+0)
PA: 186

Season Stats:
17 games (all sub), 1 assist, 5.94 rating

Alex Kamelooski, Wingback/Defensive Midfielder, Newcastle:
Alex definitely does not have luck on his side. He chose to join Newcastle during the transfer window and Newcastle subsequently got relegated. The Polish international will have to get stuck-in and try to help Newcastle get promoted again next year.

CA: 153 (+0)
PA: 183

Season Stats (league only):
23 games, 6.00 rating (12 games for Liverpool)

Colton Mayes, Defender, Arsenal:
It looks like Colton Mayes is on his way out of Arsenal, despite him having a decent season. Portsmouth have indicated their interest and the Arsenal manager has indicated he isn't averse to Colton Mayes leaving.

CA: 148 (+5)
PA: 181

Season Stats:
53 games (2 sub), 3 goals, 1 MOM, 6 yellows, 6.72 rating

Larry McGillicuddy, Goalkeeper, Man Utd:
Larry returns to the Premiership this year and had a fine season for the Reds. His value has dropped significantly since the days he first joined Man Utd though, as he's only valued at 6m now. It could be a result of his phenomenally high number of yellow cards for his eccentric behaviour on the pitch.

CA: 170 (+0)
PA: 182

Season Stats:
37 games, 38 conceded, 9 clean sheets, 3 MOM, 12 yellows, 7.49 rating

Deacon Palmieri, Attacking Midfielder, Monaco:
Deacon signed for Monaco at the start of the season and was left on the bench on a regular basis. Luckily for him, he managed to get more games during the 2nd half of the season and he played decently for Monaco in a right wing position.

CA: 140 (+0)
PA: 178

Season Stats:
28 games (4 sub), 4 goals, 2 assists, 4 yellows, 6.43 rating

[MrBug708]

I love this thread.. One of my favorite reads...Too bad I couldnt get in on it though

[larrymcg421]

Yay! Finally made it to the top!

This yellow card stuff is BS. The refs need to get their heads straight.

[law90026]

Originally Posted by MrBug708

I love this thread.. One of my favorite reads...Too bad I couldnt get in on it though

Thanks!

I'm contemplating trying to get another add-on for FM that will allow save game editting. If that works, it's possible to actually add players to the game. My only concern is if it breaks the save game so I'm still reading up on it.

[Coffee Warlord]

Time for me to move again.

[path12]

This really is awesome. Thanks for doing it.

[George]

Originally Posted by path12

This really is awesome. Thanks for doing it.

+1

[Celeval]

Sheesh... seems like I've scored a ton everywhere I've been. Here's hoping for a couple of seasons in the Premiership to prove it out.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Time for me to move again.

Yeah, maybe to a team that doesn't care about scoring goals.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Yeah, maybe to a team that doesn't care about scoring goals.

Rob Nielsen will not be inviting you to his monthly parties in Paris.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Coffee Warlord

Rob Nielsen will not be inviting you to his monthly parties in Paris.

Whatever. I'm the eccentric keeper for ManU. Translation: I'm getting laid nightly and don't have time to go to your stupid parties even if I wanted.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Whatever. I'm the eccentric keeper for ManU. Translation: I'm getting laid nightly and don't have time to go to your stupid parties even if I wanted.

Translation: You are jealous of Rob Nielsen because he makes more money than you will ever see, AND has access to far better women.

[Passacaglia]

Hey, did any of you guys have double-digit assists and goals this season? No? Oh, sorry..

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Hey, did any of you guys have double-digit assists and goals this season? No? Oh, sorry..

Well, that's not very likely to happen since I'm a keeper and Rob can't pass gas much less get the ball to a teammate.

[Coffee Warlord]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

Well, that's not very likely to happen since I'm a keeper and Rob can't pass gas much less get the ball to a teammate.

You mean...give someone else on Rob Nielsen's team the ball once Rob has it in his possession? Intentionally?

Rob Nielsen does not understand this concept.

[bbgunn]

Originally Posted by law90026

Thanks!

I'm contemplating trying to get another add-on for FM that will allow save game editting. If that works, it's possible to actually add players to the game. My only concern is if it breaks the save game so I'm still reading up on it.

Yay! If that works, I'm definitely in.

[Celeval]

Originally Posted by Passacaglia

Hey, did any of you guys have double-digit assists and goals this season? No? Oh, sorry..

My goals > Your goals + your assists.